Threshold and sill assembly

ABSTRACT

A threshold and sill arrangement including an upwardly open elongated channel sectioned part with parallel spaced side wall portions for receiving a channel sectioned member with depending parallel spaced side flanges there within, and having adjustment screws to raise and lower the one relative to the other, locking screws to fix the adjusted portions, suitable seals between the relatively adjustable parts, and a downwardly sloping sill section formed integral with one side and/or connected thereto.

United States Patent 1 Kempel Oct. 2, 1973 I5 THRESHOLD AND SILLASSEMBLY 386,084 7mm Pratt ct ill. 49 46x [75] Inventor: John J. Kempel,Pontiac, Mich. [73] Assignee: Taylor Garage Doors, lnc., Detro 3,402,5129/1968 E Peterson 49/463 Mich.

Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein i Sept 1971 Assistant ExaminerPhilip C.Kannan [2| 1 Appl. No.1 [83,665 Attorney-Dale A. Winnie Related US.Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 2,85l, Jan. 14, I970.[57] ABSTRACT A threshold and S1" arrangement including an upwardly 521Us. Cl. 49/468, 49/482 elmgaed Channel sectioned P with Parallel 51 Int.Cl E06b 1/70 Spaced Side PQ receiving a channel [58] Field 6: Search49/468, 469, 470, tioned member with depending P Spaced Side 49/471,505, 482 flanges there within, and having adjustment screws to raise andlower the one relative to the other, locking 5 v .References Citedscrews to fix the adjusted portions, suitable seals be- S'TATES tweenthe relatively adjustable parts and a downwardly 3 50 866 3/1970 Johnson49,468 X sloping 81" section formed integral wlth one side and/or2,947,043 8/1960 Klemma... 49 468 connected thereto 596,948 [/1898 Seely49/468 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED 21 SHEET 10F 2 Z R6. m z K Jn M imam/M ATTO R N EY PAIEmmw' 3.162.169

SHEET 2 BF 2 ATTORNEY 1 THRESHOLD AND SILL ASSEMBLY This is acontinuation, of application Ser. No. 2,851 filed Jan. 14, 1970 nowabandoned.

' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Aluminum threshold and sill arrangementsunder entrance doors offer many advantages.

They are attractive in appearance, light weight for shipping andhandling ease, unaffected by bad weather, relatively wear resistant,easy to cut and fit, if necessary, and are vertually care-free when itcomes to service or maintainance. However, there are also a lot ofproblems in providing really good ones.

The weather seal under an entrance door, for example, is very important.If weather stripping is provided on the bottom of the door or standingup over the threshold, either it or a part engaging it must be adjustable to compensate for variations that arise. This includes changes thatmay be necessary long after installation and which must be made by theowner.

It is also important to provide a thermal barrier or separation in ametal threshold assemblyth at serves at an entrance way, because ofdifferent temperatures to which different sides are exposed. Withoutsome such protection there will be moisture problems due to condensationand damage to rugs and floors.

Another problem in all threshold arrangements, whether of metal or not,is to provide an adequate runoff for rain water and melted snow so thatthere is no accumulation of water in or around an entrance way that maycause mildew, rot or other water damage.

Heretofore, prefabricated aluminum threshold assemblies have failed inone respect or another to serve these and other needs. Consequently, anew and better arrangement is needed, that is more simple inconstruction, to minimize production costs, and includes improvementsthat will enable greater ease of'adjustmerit, when and as required.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is directed to anew and improved threshold and sill arrangement, of aluminum, and onethat is particularly suited for entrance way use.

The assembly includes two parts which are relatively simple shapes thatcan be extruded. One includes the sill with an inverted channel sectionat one end and the FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one end of thethreshold member, as seen in the plane of line 2-2 in the first drawingfigure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the threshold member asseen in the plane of line 3-3 in the first drawing figure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of the threshold member, asseen in theplane of line 4-4 in the second drawing figure.

FIG. 5 isa cross-sectional view of another form of threshold member.

FIG. 6 is'a cross-sectional view of still another form of thresholdmember.

' DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS A threshold andsill arrangement according to the present invention is shown in thefirst drawing figure and is identified as 10.

It is provided between the side rails 12 and 14 of a door frame andimmediately under a door 16 which is hung in the frame to swing into abuilding space therebehind.

' As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the threshold and sill assembly 10includes two separately extruded aluminum parts 18 and. 20. The onepart, 18, is intended to be fastened between the two frame side railsand to the floor while the other part, 20, is the relatively adjustablethreshold part that is intended to provide weather sealing engagementwith suitable weather stripping, such as 22, on the bottom edge of thedoor 16.

n The extruded part 18 is square-cut at its ends to fit between theframe rails 12 and 14, and under the door stop part 24 of the framerails, as best shown in FIGv 2.

7 safety. The incline is for run-off purposes, of course,

other is a relatively simple channel section that fits in the first,forms a box section with it, and is adjustable by shoulder screwsdisposed between the two.

By a combination of adjustment screws and lock screws, both of which arereadily accessible, the actual threshold part can be raised or loweredto seal against weather stripping on the bottom of the door.

The two parts are formed to include a thermal sepa- I DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door and frame assemblymounted in a wall and using the threshold member of the presentinvention.

and is intended to be on the outside of the doorway in which installed.Other sill structures that are shorter and are more serviceable fo'rinside doors will be discussed later.

The sill section 30 includes a return flange 34, at floor level, at itsextended end, which cooperates with a shoulder flange 36, at its higherend, to retain an in sert 38 of plywood or the like. The insert servesto stiffen or reinforce the sill section and is used instead of ribs orrails formed in the course of extruding the part 18.

Immediately under where the door 16 will be, there is an upwardly openchannel-like recess 40. It has side wall portions 42 and 44 and a centerrib or rail 46 that stands between them and is shown with one of thescrew bosses 28 provided-on its side. A poly pile fabric seal 48 isprovided in the sill wall 42 and the opposite wall 44 is formed toaccommodate a vinyl seal and trim strip 50 which is both decorative andfunctional, as will bedescribed.

Referring back to the two extruded parts 18 and 20, which make up thesill and threshold assembly of the present invention, the second part 20is shown in the drawings as a relatively long channel sectioned memberwith parallel spaced and downwardly disposed side flanges 52 and 54 thatare received within the open channel-like recess 40, in the sill part18. The web wall 56 is intended to engage and seal against the weatherstripping 22 on the bottom of the door, as previously mentioned, and theside flanges of what is the vertically adjustable part of the thresholdare received in weather sealing engagement with seals 48 and 50.

Vertical adjustment of the part 20 is obtained by means of screws 58that are in threaded engagement with the rib rail 46 and include ashoulder flange 60 that engages the underside of the web wall 56 to liftit up as the screw is turned out and allows it to be lowered when it isturned down. Each adjustment screw has a slotted end or head 62 thatextends into a hole 64 in the web wall so that it can be turned up ordown, as necessary, without taking the two parts of the assembly apart,as has always been necessary before.

Flat headed screws 66 are used to fasten the adjustable part 20 inwhatever adjusted position is selected for it. The screws are receivedthrough cone seated holes 68 in the web wall 56 and into threadedengagement with the rib rail 46. They may even be selftapping screws, ifdesired.

To raise or lower the threshold part 20, the lock screws 66 are loosenedand the adjustment screws are turned out, or down. Then, the lock screwsare tightened again to fix the channel sectioned part in its newposition.

It is very simple. Anyone can do it.

VARIATIONS AND REFINEMENTS The vinyl seal and trim strip 50, shown inFIG. 3, is made to include a rolled edge 70 that is received in a groove72 in the side wall portion 44 of the sill part. It also has a lip 74that extends out and down, to simulate a piece of trim molding, andwhich can be flexed, as shown, in order to install tile or other floorcoverings under it.

Normally, vinyl seals are advisable on only one side of two members thatare adjustable relative to each other, because of the high friction andshear forces that are developed. However, they can be on either side andFIG. shows adifferenfsill and threshold arrangement [00 with the vinylseal on the sill side.

The actual sill section 130 is shaped differently in cross-section andincludes a structural reinforcement leg or rib 138 rather than a plywoodor like stiffener 38.

The channel-like recess area 140 is very much like before but the sidewall 142 is a combination connector and seal, of vinyl and the fabricseal 148 is on the opposite side.

The use of two screw bosses 126 and 127 assures the fixed location ofthe sill part when installed.

The sill section 230 shown in FIG. 6 is for indoor use and consequentlyhas no side wall seals. It includes the screw bosses 226 and 228 on theshort sill part and outer walls formed to provide a downward taper, asat 250, somewhat like trim molding.

The threshold part 220, as in the other variations, is essentially thesame.

I claim:

1. A threshold assembly for use within a doorway opening under the loweredge of a door for closing the same and adapted to be fixed to the floorand relatively located between the side rails framing such opening, andcomprising; an extruded member formed to include an upwardly open troughhaving relatively spaced side walls on each side thereof and an invertedchannel sectioned rib provided within said trough between said sidewalls and extending the full length thereof, a channel sectioned memberopen downwardly and received within said trough over said rib fortelecopic adjustment therewithin and relatively over said rib, andseparate means provided in pairs at least near opposite ends of saidextruded and adjustable members as telecopically received together forproviding relative adjustment therebetween and fixing said members inselected adjusted positions, said separate means being each received inthreaded engagement directly with said rib and each pair including anadjustable stop engaging the underside of said adjustable member andaccessible therethrough for fixing the relative height of saidadjustable member in said trough and a headed member closely nextadjacent said adjustable stop received through and engaging theupperside of said adjustable member for holding the latter in positiveengagement on said stop.

2. The threshold assembly of claim 1, said adjustable stop including aflange surface engaging the .underside of said adjustable member andsaid headed member being in sufficiently close proximity for holdingsaid adjustable member in rattle-free frictional engagement on said stopfor precluding independent self adjustment thereof.

3. The threshold assembly of claim 1, including sealing means providedand obscured within the space between the side walls of said trough andof said channel sectioned member and retained in engagement within onethereof.

4. The threshold assembly of claim 3, including a laterally disposed anddownwardly sloping part providing a sill section on one side of saidextruded member, said sill section having an end wall common with one ofthe side walls of said trough, and said sealing means being received andretained within said common wall.

5. The threshold assembly of claim 1, including a decorative andfunctionallyv protective molding strip disposed externally next adjacentsaid extruded member and having one edge curled over and received inretained engagement within a trough side wall and for providing sealingmeans with respect to said adjustable member.

i t t t t

1. A threshold assembly for use within a doorway opening under the loweredge of a door for closing the same and adapted to be fixed to the floorand relatively located between the side rails framing such opening, andcomprising; an extruded member formed to include an upwardly open troughhaving relatively spaced side walls on each side thereof and an invertedchannel sectioned rib provided within said trough between said sidewalls and extending the full length thereof, a channel sectioned memberopen downwardly and received within said trough over said rib fortelecopic adjustment therewithin and relatively over said rib, andseparate means provided in pairs at least near opposite ends of saidextruded and adjustable members as telecopically received together forproviding relative adjustment therebetween and fixing said members inselected adjusted positions, said separate means being each received inthreaded engagement directly with said rib and each pair including anadjustable stop engaging the underside of said adjustable member andaccessible therethrough for fixing the relative height of saidadjustable member in said trough and a headed member closely nextadjacent said adjustable stop received through and engaging theupperside of said adjustable member for holding the latter in positiveengagement on said stop.
 2. The threshold assembly of claim 1, saidadjustable stop including a flange surface engaging the underside ofsaid adjustable member and said headed member being in sufficientlyclose proximity for holding said adjustable member in rattle-freefrictional engagement on said stop for precluding independent selfadjustment thereof.
 3. The threshold assembly of claim 1, includingsealing means provided and obscured within the space between the sidewalls of said trough and of said channel sectioned member and retainedin engagement within one thereof.
 4. The threshold assembly of claim 3,including a laterally disposed and downwardly sloping part providing asill section on one side of said extruded member, said sill sectionhaving an end wall common with one of the side walls of said trough, andsaid sealing means being received and retained within said common wall.5. The threshold assembly of claim 1, including a decorative andfunctionally protective molding strip disposed externally next adjacentsaid extruded member and having one edge curled over and received inretained engagement within a trough side wall and for providing sealingmeans with respect to said adjustable member.